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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Shadwell (LSD-15)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Alpha - Hotel
NJAH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 24 June 1945) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1 Dominican Republic) - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)

Individual Awards

Purple Heart (3-WIA, 24 June 1945)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as British Mechanized Artillery Transport Tomahawk (BAPM-7)
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Dock LSD-15, 1 July 1942
  • Contract awarded for LSD-15 to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 10 September 1942
  • Assigned the name HMS Tomahawk, date unknown
  • Renamed by the United Kingdom HMS Waterway (F-146), date unknown
  • Lend-Lease canceled or modified never commissioned in Royal Navy
  • Laid down as Shadwell 17 January 1944
  • Launched 14 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Shadwell (LSD-15), 24 July 1944, LCDR. William K. Brooks in command
  • During World War II, USS Shadwell was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 July 1947, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group, Orange
  • Recommissioned, 20 September 1950, at Orange, TX.
  • Decommissioned, 9 March 1970, at US Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA.
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976
  • Final Disposition, ex-Shadwell is in the custody of the Naval Research Laboratory/Office of Naval Research, Fire Research Det. Little Sands Island Mobile Bay, Mobile AL. as the US Navy damage control test ship
  • USS Shadwell earned one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
    Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
    Length 457' 9" o.a.
    Beam 72"
    Draft 8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft); 15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
    Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
    Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
    Landing Craft 6 officers, 30 men
    Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
    Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
    Well Deck Capacity (without prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)
  • 3 LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
  • 2 LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
  • 14 LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
  • 47 DUKW or
  • 41 LVT or
  • Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Well Deck Capacity (with prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)
  • 108 DUKWs or
  • 92 LVTs or
  • Any combination of tracked/wheeled vehicles up to capacity
    (Note: LSDs were incapable of repairing landing craft in this configuration)
    Aircraft LSDs 1 - 27 (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks
    Armament
  • 1 - 5"/.38 caliber Dual Purpose single barrel mount in open tub (w/director)
  • 2 - 40MM quad barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
  • 2 - 40MM twin barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
  • 16- 20MM single barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (local control)
    Propulsion
  • 2 - Babcock and Wilcox Boilers, D Type, 2 Drum, Single Furnace, Single Uptake,
    Oil Fired
  • 2 - Skinner Engines - steam turbine (geared)
  • Twin screws
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Shadwell 26k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown. .
    Shadwell 71k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown. .
    Shadwell 101k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown. .
    Shadwell 50k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) in the Arctic ice, date and location unknown. .
    Shadwell 89k Ex-USS Shadwell (LSD-15) grounded on Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay, AL., as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Photo from "Marine Line.com" Ron Reeves

    View the USS Shadwell (LSD-15)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Shadwell (LSD-15)(1)
    ex-USS Shadwell Naval Research Laboratory/Office of Naval Research
    The LSDs of the US Navy
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Dock Landing Ship (LSD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 9 January 2009